That Scorching Summer Day
by upseto
Summary: Basically Kagerou Days/Daze, but written and slightly changed. Doesn't contain Hibiya spoilers.


Aaaaah, I wrote this a little while ago for English. Before the spoilers for Hibiya. Based rEALLY HEAVILY ON KAGEROU DAYS/DAZE, but things are still changed-

Also a bunch of useless description because it was an assignment, but I thought I might share it.

Thanks~!

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"Ugh…" Hibiya groaned as he leaned over sluggishly, slipping on his sandals. It was unusual for him to be up and about at this time on a Sunday, but Hiyori had called him out today, and he just couldn't turn her down. He dreaded school the next day; who sends their 12 year old to summer school anyway? Grabbing his phone and slipping out the door with an 'I'm leaving' to his mom, he was definitely regretting accepting her suggestion. The moment he stepped out from under the veranda, the heat hit him like a slap in the face. It bore down on him to the point he could almost swear it was physically pushing him on him. Another moan escaped his mouth as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his white hooded vest and began to trudge along the street. Cicada calls echoed down the street, annoying and constant. Waves of heat radiated from the asphalt, making the space above it hazy and distorted. The streets were devoid of people for this time of day, and Hibiya didn't blame them; it was sweltering outside. The roads filled a little as he neared his destination by a larger intersection, and the noisy construction of an apartment joined the cicadas. Reaching the park where he'd agreed to meet his friend, he slumped unceremoniously onto a swing set, tugging at the collar of his blue shirt. It'd been a short walk, but he was already sweating. He checked the time on his phone: August 15th 12:30 pm. Where was she? Hibiya brought up his hand to shade against the sun as he swept his eyes across the playground. There were a group of younger kids energetically shooting each other with water guns, but no sign of his friend. With a sigh, he brought his eyes up a little higher. It really wasn't that nice of a day; despite the clear skies… it was way too hot. Hearing the clink of the swing next to him, he caught the edge of a pink dress drop into it out of the corner of his eye.

"Sorry to keep you, Hibiya," Hiyori apologized, holding up a black cat, "Look what I have though!" He backed up a little as the creature was promptly shoved in his face much to his and the cat's disdain. Hiyori's smiling face popped out from behind the held kitten, with an expectant grin. Hibiya leaned back and tilted his head to match hers with his own sheepish smirk.

"A cat…" he said noncommittally, then continued after a pout from the girl, "A-ah yes, it's very cute."

"Isn't he?" she giggled, apparently satisfied with his answer and returning the said creature to her lap. A couple minutes of silence passed between them as she stroked the cat's dark fur. Hibiya cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing around to find something to talk about.

"U-um, it's a nice day today, isn't it?" he prompted, immediately wincing at how lame he sounded. To hide his embarrassment he grabbed at the chain of his swing and pushed off, enjoying the small breeze it created. She paused, turning to look at him.

"Do you like this weather?" she ventured before continuing in a soft voice, "Y'know… I kinda hate the summer…" Hibiya opened his mouth to agree, but then quickly shut it. If he said that, he'd be contradicting himself. Hiyori stood suddenly, spinning on one heel.

"I need to buy something, shall we go to the store?" she proposed, cradling the cat in her arms. Hibiya, gave it a few more swings before he hopped off, nodding his assent. She prattled on about some other mundane things that he didn't particularly find interesting, so they didn't stick in his mind. He just watched her arms with a three-quarter sleeve black shirt curl around the kitten, and the bow on the back of her dress sway. Suddenly, as they neared the crosswalk, the cat perked his head up and jumped from his perch, dashing across the street.

"Ah," Hiyori let out a gasp before giving chase, dark pig tails flying out behind her, "Come back!" Hibiya blinked as he watched her run ahead before…

"Hiyori-! Look ou-!" he screamed before a blare of horn cut him off, and a truck came whizzing past right into the girl. He had taken a couple steps forward in order to stop her, but froze now as crimson flecks landed on his shins and tan shorts. He struggled to breathe, and his legs turned to jelly, collapsing under him.

'_Hiyori… no… no it can't b_e…!' he thought as he brought his hands over his mouth, shaking his head. Gagging as he tried not to throw up, the air seemed to choke and over power him with the smell of blood mixed with her scent. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water and just as dry, but no sound escaped. He could see people around him rushing around or pointing though he couldn't hear them. As if everything was drowned out, and the only thing that mattered was Hiyori. Blood pooled around the body, staining the white lines of the crosswalk red. He managed to finally tear his gaze away from the mangled bloody mess in front of him that used to be his friend with tears in his eyes. The air shimmered, and a dark haze in the shape of a familiar looking boy formed.

"This isn't a lie," he said with a mocking smile, "What you see here is reality." Who did he think he was? Hibiya opened his mouth to deny it desperately, but his vision turned black, and he lost consciousness.

An alarm blared from his phone as Hibiya bolted straight up, breathing heavily. His panicked breath slowed as he took in the sight of his bedroom filled with the ambient morning light. He sighed as he shut off the alarm with one hand, running the other through his shaggy brown hair. Fanning himself, he tugged at his shirt, pulling it away from his sweat soaked skin. He checked his phone: August 15th 11:30 am. The previous morning… sorry, in his dream, he'd gone back to sleep for another half hour before grudgingly rolling out of bed, but after that nightmare, he didn't think he'd be getting anymore rest. He stretched and swung his legs off the bed to properly wake up.

Half past noon, he found himself sitting in the same old spot, waiting for Hiyori. The streets had been empty along the way, but in this heat it was to be expected. A couple joyous yelps from a nearby group of kids and cicada calls sounded through the air as he waited. He couldn't get the sight of Hiyori's figure broken by the passing vehicle from last night out of his head, but it was getting more and more difficult to remember the other details, and soon he'd forget it. He shook his head furiously; it was just a dream, and there was no need to get all worked up about it.

"Sorry to keep you, Hibiya," a familiar voice called out the familiar phrase. He turned to face his friend, but the beginnings of a smile froze on his face as he found himself face to face with a black cat.

"Look what I have though!" Hiyori continued, with a cheerful tone. Hibiya stared at the animal incredulously.

'_No way… no, it couldn't be_,' he snapped out of his thoughts as Hiyori poked a worried face out from behind the kitten.

"…Hibiya…?" she nudged him softly, "You okay?" Hibiya shook off his previous doubts; it was only a dream. He tried his best to smile at her normally.

"Yeah, it's a cat. Very cute," he commented, giving the said critter an experimental pat on the head. He did his best, but his eyes wandered to the ground after a few seconds. He could still see Hiyori frown and bite her lips a little.

She slid off her swing, and bubbled, "Ah, it's so hot today! Let's go to the store; it'll be cooler there!" Hibiya gave a rueful smile and followed behind her as she led the way. He gulped as they neared the sidewalk, pacing a little faster to catch up. He stuffed clenched fists into his pockets, watching carefully. The cat peered at him over the shoulder with an almost knowing glint in its eyes before quickly hopping away.

"Ah," Hiyori started forward to reclaim her kitten, but Hibiya had latched on to her wrist. She looked back with a questioning look as he pulled her back a little. A little heat rose to his cheeks, and he quickly released her hand, reaching back to scratch his head.

"Uh, um…" he stuttered, casting around to find an excuse for his actions, "I… I'm not feeling too well… can we go somewhere else?" There was obvious relief on the girl's face at his words, probably assuming that he was acting weird for that reason. She readily agreed to the suggestion, worried about her friend. He headed in the opposite direction on the main road past the half constructed building, Hiyori following close behind. Urgent shouts echoed from across the street, and Hibiya instinctively paused, peering over at the small group of people. They gaped and pointed at something above, and he followed their line of sight. A huge crash sounded as heavy iron beams from the construction tumbled and landed on his friend, narrowly missing himself.

'_Again?_' he couldn't believe it. He took a step back but stumbled, landing on his backside. Her head and arms were sticking out from underneath the rubble, and he could almost swear she was smiling for some reason, but it couldn't be.

"H-help! Someone please call an ambulance," he cried when he finally snapped out of his stupor, and he crawled forward to grab Hiyori's hand to pull her out… not that it'd work, but he was desperate. Before he could do so, the dark shape of a foot stepped in front. The owner of the said limb kneeled down grinning; it was the haze.

"Bet you wish you were asleep, huh?" he giggled manically, "Too bad this _isn't_ a dream." Again, Hibiya felt his consciousness slipping. He reached a weak hand past the dark figure to grab his friend's hand.

He woke, one hand reaching out in front of him, tears streaming down his face. He threw off his covers and jumped off his bed. He hurried to throw on his clothes and slammed the door with a bang as he ran out. His mother called after him furiously, but he paid no mind. His only thoughts were on Hiyori, and he wasn't going to let her die today. Despite the heat, he sprinted down the street, pausing at the park to check his phone: August 15th 12:15 pm. She's not going to arrive until later. He shifted restlessly in one spot, checking his phone every 30 seconds until he gave up, and headed down the street towards Hiyori's house. A little ways down, she turned the corner with the same black cat in her arms. Hibiya forced himself to calm down as they exchanged waves; after all, he'd only succeed in scaring her with his panicked state.

"Did you come to meet me? Am I late?" Hiyori asked as they came closer. He shook his head, muttering some excuse about arriving too early. They continued side by side back to the park. Now that he was with her, he wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't cross the street, or head by the construction site. As he thought, he drew a hand across his brow, wiping the sweat away. Along with the heat, he had sprinted here, leaving him breathless. He glared at the sun, wishing for some shade, but something caught his eye.

"Hey," he said, getting his friend's attention, "You need to go to the store, right? Let's cross here." He pointed at the skywalk above them.

"…How'd he know I needed to go to the store…?" Hiyori asked herself under her breath, eyebrows knit, and Hibiya jerked. It hadn't occurred to him that he wasn't supposed to know that just yet. She mulled it over for a bit, but dismissed it soon enough.

"Why don't we cross right now, there's a cross walk right her—" she started before Hibiya cut in.

"N-no!" he'd shouted, scaring away the cat in her arms, and it bounded across the street. Shocked, she barely seemed to notice the animal, blinking at the other. He grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the skywalk, "Please I just… want to go this way."

"Hey, Hibiya, I can walk by myself," Hiyori complained as he pulled her up the steps. He was about to reply when he glimpsed a dark hazy figure at the top of the steps, his grip on her loosening. Her hand slipped out of his, and Hibiya turned sharply. Just in time to see her stumble and fall down the steps.

'_No! No, no, no, no!_' tears welling up in his eyes. He reached out pointlessly to try and grab her, but it was far too late. The haze laughed at him once again, and Hibiya took an angry swipe at him before waking up in his bed.

'_How… how many times has this repeated now?_' he pounded the wall beside his bed in frustration. At least a decade of August the fifteenths have passed, and he wasn't able to save her. Was it fate? Is he supposed to accept her death? What was the point of making him suffer through this? He curled up, his head drooping between his knees. The awful dark figure in the haze continued to sneer at him endlessly under the scorching heat.

'_Such a clich__é story… but every story has an end, and I _will_ end it,_' he thought to himself as he raised his head, eyes steely with determination.

Sitting upon the swings, the girl arrived at exactly the same time as she did the previous days with the exact same lines. He smiled at her with the fake ease that he'd mastered over time. She proclaimed that her plans of going to the store, and followed the exact same plan that had occurred before. Hibiya walked close beside her, oddly calm. The cat jumped out of Hiyori's arms, and she gave chase. The blare of a horn was right on cue, but Hiyori's yelp of surprise was not the last one she'd make. Shoving her forward just enough to clear the truck, the vehicle hit him instead. Humid air reeking of gasoline blasted him as the truck drove off, leaving him broken and bleeding profusely on the ground. He felt numb, and there wasn't pain, but he could barely move, so it was probably bad. His eyes drooped and vision fading, not like when he blacked out at the end of the day, but it seemed slower and more final. Never mind his death because he was ready for that, but he had to see. Was she okay? He shifted his head up with the last of his draining strength. Hiyori, scraped up from the fall when pushed, had her hands over her mouth, tears welling up in her big eyes. Despite her state and his own, Hibiya couldn't keep a smile at bay. Finally, he'd done it. She lived. She's living. His smile only widened as he spotted a dark figure behind her, shocked. For once, the haze wasn't amused at his pain.

'_Bet you liked that,_' he hissed in his head along with a couple other profanities and insulting names. Even if he tried, he probably couldn't make a sound. His smile only faded a bit when he saw a lighter haze in a shape of a familiar looking girl. He was confused, but way past the point of caring and watched Hiyori call for help as his strangled breath stopped.

"Guess I failed again…" whispered a crying girl, sitting up in her bed with a cat cradled in her arms on August 15th at 11:30 am.


End file.
